Drive-chain



UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE.

JAMEs M. DODGE, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersfratent No. 256,552, dated April'4 1s, 1882. Application led January 7, 1882. (Model.)

To alt whom @t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES IWIAPES DODGE, of' Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drive-Chains and Ido here-- by declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had, to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application. My invention relates to a novel construction of that kind of drive-chain which is composed of duplicate detachable links or parts; and it consists in the structural form hereinafter more fully described, and-particularly speciiied in the claim. A y

rIo enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to make and use chains embodying the same, I willnow proceed to more fully describe my said improvement, rcferring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a.

chain embracing my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the relative positions that any two links must be made to occupy in order to couple orluncouple them. Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of the same with the links turned into a working relative position, such as shown at Fig. l. Fig. et is a perspective view of a single link detached.

In the several figures the same part will be found designated by the same letter of reference.

A A are the side bars, B the divided end bar, and C the coupler hook Or socket ot' the lilik.`

The 'coupler-hook C is cast with a tie-piece or bridge, e, extending from the upper portion of the root of the hook over to the lips thereof, and located preferably about midway of the length of the coupler. This bridge or ligament e serves to greatly strengthen the hook and render the same incapable of bending or partially straightening out under any strain lengthwise of the chain.

The end bar of the link'is made, as shown,` intwo parts, leaving an opening between them at d slightly wider than the width of the tiepiece or bridge e, in order to allow the ready passage of the part e through the space d during the insert-ion within the coupler-hook of one link of the divided end bar of another link. On the working side of the chain the divided end bar, B, has two depressions or cut-outs, at f f, as plainly illustrated. y

The hook G is made with two cut-aways at ss, rendering the openin g at these points slightly larger than the full diameter of the divided end bar, and forming lips it', which reduce the opening on either side of the bridge or tiepiece c to an extent sufcien't to just permit the easy passage therethrough of the reduced portions ff of the divided end bar.

The general result of this whole construction is that when two such links as'shown are coupled together and broughtto a position such as they would occupy during use, they cannot beseparated, while by simply turning the parts into the relationship shown at Fig. 2 they-may bel easily detached.

The side bars, A A, of each link are' elongated and bulged out at the hook end of the link, and are there formed intowhat I call retainers or keepers m in, which extend longitudinally far enough to vsecurely hold the side bars of thefidjacent link, as shown.

The inner adjacent surfaces of m m are distant from the ends of the hook C far enough to allow the side bars of the other link to pass easily between them during the operationsof coupling and uncoupling the links; and when two links are brought into the position seen at Fig.

-l it will be observed that the side bars of one link are protected against any lateral spreading by the keepers m m 011 the next link, thus overcomin g the serious objeclion which has heretofore arisen in the use of links having divided end bars and no provision for keeping the side bars (with which they are cast integral) froml spreading outwardly.

I do not claim broadly a drive-chain link in which the lipand root of the coupler-hook are connected by a tie-piece; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

nA drive-chain link having at one end a coupler-hook that is provided with bridge-piece c and retainers or keepers m m and at the other end a divided end bar, the whole adapted to Operate as described, for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of December, 1881.y

. JAMES M. DODGE.

In presence of- T. S. FAUNTLEEOY, GEO. E. MARSHALL. 

